Manaf Tlass or Manaf Tlas is a former Brigadier General of the Syrian Republican Guard and member of Bashar al-Assad's inner circle who defected in 2012.
30 Facts About Manaf Tlass
1.
2.
Manaf Tlass was the first Syrian Republican Guard commander to defect from the Syrian military and declare support for the opposition.
3.
Manaf Tlass is the son of the former Syrian Defense Minister Mustafa Tlass and Lamia Al Jabiri, a member of an aristocratic Aleppo family.
4.
The Tlass family was the most famous Sunni family in Syria, known for supporting the government.
5.
Manaf Tlass was a close friend of Bassel al-Assad, Hafez al-Assad's eldest son and heir apparent until his death in a 1994 car accident.
6.
Manaf Tlass later became close to Bashar al-Assad; having attended military college with Assad, Bashar al-Assad regarded the Tlass brothers as peers and friends.
7.
In 1980, Manaf Tlass took part in a military training camp organized by the Revolutionary Youth Union.
8.
Manaf Tlass became a member of the central committee of the Baath Party in 2000.
9.
Manaf Tlass was regarded as a potential candidate for leadership in future years.
10.
In June 2005, Manaf Tlass was reelected to the central committee of the Baath Party.
11.
Manaf Tlass tried to help Bashar al-Assad increase his base of support by introducing him to members of the Sunni merchant class.
12.
Manaf Tlass advocated reform as early as 2005, but he stressed that Assad was the best hope for reform.
13.
Manaf Tlass had reportedly held unsuccessful talks with the Syrian opposition during the 2011 Syrian uprising.
14.
Manaf Tlass was promoted to the rank of one-star general in the Republican Guards, which is one of the core military units used to crush the uprising that began in 2011.
15.
Manaf Tlass commanded the 104th brigade that is located in Douma and Harasta in the Republican Guard together with Brigadier General Issam Zahreddine.
16.
Manaf Tlass is reported to have become increasingly frustrated over the violent crackdown by the security forces on protesters.
17.
Manaf Tlass was the first government official meeting with the opposition in March 2011 and trying to open a dialogue and find a political solution.
18.
Manaf Tlass was involved in reconciliation efforts in rural Damascus, including Douma, Daraa, al-Tall, Homs and his home town Rastan.
19.
Manaf Tlass tried to meet with Bashar al-Assad via a leading political figure who is not Syrian but is close to Assad a few days before leaving Syria.
20.
Bashar al Heraki, a member of the Syrian National Council stated that Manaf Tlass was one of the government's main figures and that his defection was a sign of Bashar al Assad's waning power.
21.
On 6 July 2012, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius stated that Manaf Tlass was on his way to Paris to join his family there.
22.
French President Francois Hollande confirmed on 17 July 2012 that Manaf Tlass was in Paris.
23.
Manaf Tlass called for "a constructive transition" in Syria and said the Syrian army had fought against the Syrian people.
24.
Manaf Tlass called on Syrians to unite and look towards a post-revolutionary Syria, in video address broadcast from Saudi Arabia on 24 July 2012.
25.
Firas Manaf Tlass admitted to offering humanitarian and relief aid to the Farouq Brigades in the Free Syrian Army which is commanded by his cousin Abdul Razzak Tlas.
26.
Manaf Tlass visited Saudi Arabia in the last week of July 2012.
27.
Manaf Tlass's visit was organized by Prince Bandar bin Sultan, newly appointed head of Saudi Intelligence.
28.
Manaf Tlass confirmed his defection in an exclusive video for Saudi-based TV channel Al Arabiya and gave his first interview to the newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.
29.
Manaf Tlass then went to Turkey on 26 July 2012 where he met with the then Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu and the undersecretary of National Intelligence Organization, Hakan Fidan.
30.
Manaf Tlass's wife is from the Damascus upper middle class, the daughter of a Damascus intellectual and granddaughter of the nationalist merchant, Adib Kheir.